My time  as  Chancellor at The University of Manchester (2015 to 2022) came to the end of its tenure on 1st August last year.  With covid restrictions lifted it was time for students to attend their long awaited  graduations and for me to preside over the awards ceremony for the last time. The dear graduands hobbled through the darkness of the pandemic with their heads high and arms at their sides. I t was boiling hot.  They were exhausted, elated, tired and triumphant.  

 Looking outwards from the podium (pic above) in Whitworth Hall I surveyed them.  They were heroes. It was my job as chancellor to celebrate them and their incredible journey. I told myself to speak of their strength and their will. I told myself to hold a mirror to them and reflect their magnificence. I told myself to shine a light on their loved ones  sat on the opposite side of the hall and to speak of their ancestors.

 To serve is one of the great opportunities of life. The chancellorship offered me the chance. I am  grateful for seven glorious years  as Chancellor of The University of Manchester.   

The  letters are here as a record to remind me of what it was like to be chancellor for seven years.

The letters were unprompted and spontaneous which is entirely unlike my speeches. (They only seem unprompted and spontaneous). The letters are a fascinating insight into graduands and their parents emerging from a pandemic.

I have obscured the identities of the authors except the professors. So we will start with an email from professor Michael Wigglesworth because it sets the scene.                                                                                   27th July 2022

Hi Lemn,

As a staff member of one of the recent graduation ceremonies, I wanted to thank you for your energy and empathy in the presentation of awards.

You may not recall (though this was the same procession as Kate Sapin, a mutual acquaintance, which may help jog memory), but you spoke with the staff breifly beforehand to explain that your presence was on our behalf. That was compassionate, and I never realised how true this was. This was particularly true for me, as I am the programme director for a new course only 3 years old, so this was our first cohort to graduate, which was extra special.

Your delivery of the ceremony was so on-point, it transcended the brief. What an excellent delivery. I would never have thought how such a process could have been personalised in such a dynamic fashion. I was taking notes.  You were the talk of the town at the after-party.

Thank you for the skill and effort it took to make this special.

Kind regards,

Michael Wigglesworth

2 August 2022

Hi Lemn

I will be honest from the start I had never heard of you before my daughters graduation at Manchester University one of the proudest days of my life.Me and my family have never had anyone go to University before I’m what you call a grafter worked in heavy industries all my working life so that day she graduated was all a bit unreal for me .I’ve met and worked with a lot of characters over the years but I believe there are only a few who leave a lasting impression on you.You was on of them that day I have just started reading your book I can’t remember the last time I cried but that got to me.I hope this message gets to you and hopefully one day you could sign my book for me full of respect for you Lemn keep up the great work you do .

Thanks

Mathew Botton

21st July 202

Dear Lemn,

I am a proud parent of one of the students who graduated today and was lucky enough to attend the ceremony. I am moved to write to thank you for your incredibly powerful words. You are right that it has been a very difficult time for the students and it was wonderful  that you were able to acknowledge this in such a powerful way. I looked at the video of the event earlier and I could see how proud you made the graduates feel and that is such a great thing to have been able to do.

I also loved the way that you gave every single student your personal and genuine attention when they came on stage.

I have been to several similar ceremonies and other events over the years but I have to say that I feel truly privileged and moved to have shared todays’ event. Thank you so much.

Kind regards,

Clement Street

                                                                                                 25 July 2022

Good afternoon Lemn,

I hope you will please forgive this intrusion, but I have wanted to contact you since my daughter's degree ceremony at Manchester University a few weeks ago, but I talked myself out of it.  A friend has just talked me back into it after we shared our experiences of our daughter's graduations, which couldn't have been more different...

So, what I wanted to say is that I was incredibly moved at how you personally connected to each and every graduate at the ceremony. You seemed to genuinely care.  You showed enormous respect for those being awarded their qualification. 

My daughter was being awarded her Doctorate, a hugely proud moment for my whole family. You see, Anna is 40 and had been a 'troubled' teenager.  She was bullied, and I don't use that term flippantly, by a college tutor because he didn't like how she looked.  I mean...???

She became depressed, suicidal even at one point, and dropped out of college. Ten years ago, at age 30, she decided she wanted to get a degree. She had been unemployed for a year and was getting nowhere fast. It was the hardest year of my life, watching her lose her home and her hope.  But one day, M&S advertised for part time staff and despite a rigmarole with the job centre and a dreadful jobsworth there,  M&S worked around his jobcentre appointment with the jobsworth in the morning and interviewed her late in the day.  God bless Marks and Spencer! They offered her the position, which was the turning point in er life, it really was.  Anna has since achieved a First Class Honours Degree, a Masters Degree with Distinction and now a PhD.  She's done it completely alone and has excelled. 

I remember when my wife  and I came over for her first degree ceremony; the way our daughter was walking around the University with such confidence and presence told us she had found herself.  We have been fortunate to witness each of her degree ceremonies  but truly, quite apart from bursting with pride at my daughter’s achievement, your personal input into her PhD ceremony really did fill my heart with joy. Thank you so much! I wish you every success in the future.

With warm wishes

Francis Inderson

22 July 2022

Dear Mr Sissay,

As I was sitting yesterday morning, waiting for my daughter's graduation ceremony to start, I was expecting to be proud. Proud of her academic success, proud of her resilience in the face of a pandemic, and immeasurably proud of how she coped with the life-changing diagnosis that she received during her first year at university.

What I was not expecting, was you : your energy and passion; your unbridled joy at the success of these young people; the way that you so generously gave each one their own moment.

After the ceremony I felt moved to google you. I was not expecting what I found.  Your success and achievements, through everything life has thrown at you and withheld from you, is the stuff of legend. Finding out that you're a poet didn't surprise me at all however, and I'm looking forward to enjoying your work over the next few weeks. I started with Invisible Kisses and wasn't disappointed.

Finally, I wasn't expecting to end the week feeling professionally invigorated. I am a Head Teacher. The last couple of years have been both trying and tiring, and have taken their toll on my energy and enthusiasm. Your presence at the ceremony yesterday, your story and your delight in the achievements of our young people, have made me want to try harder, do better, BE better. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Yours sincerely

Linda Priest

21st July 2022

Dear Mr. Sissay,

First of all may I say that I have never just approached a 'celebrity' before!! So please forgive me for doing so now and taking up your valuable time. 

This morning (Thursday 21st July) my wife and I had the pleasure of attending the graduation ceremony at the University of Manchester for our daughter Brenan. We were delighted when we saw on the programme that you were to officiate at the ceremony. 

Our daughter has always written poetry as a way of dealing with life in general and with her anxiety in particular. I remember that the very first day we dropped her off she was so happy to see one of your poems on the side of one of the buildings adjacent to his halls.

Today, at the ceremony, I, along with my husband, were so moved by your opening remarks, praising the young people for their perseverance during the last two years. We were also moved by the way you spoke about the parents, grandparents and ancestors who were surrounding them with love.

I apologise if this email is a bit here and there. All I really wanted to do was to thank you for the role you have played in her  time at Manchester, for the words you spoke and for the kind, individual congratulations you gave to each one of the students.

I believe that your tenure as Chancellor is coming to an end. You will be missed. 

Good luck to you in all you do in the future 

Yours

Keisha  Love 

20th July 2022

Dear Lemn,

I am not, like you, a man of words, I am not often moved to write letters but I did want to write to you following attending my daughter’s graduation ceremony on Monday.

You were right to point out the huge impact Covid has had on the graduates and their expectation and experience of University life. I have seen the impact first hand in my role on the whole population but also the impact for my own family especially my second son, who like others has lost much of the experience he should have had at university. he has graduated with a degree but described feeling something of the imposter syndrome, did he deserve this accolade having attended in person so little?

I watched as you made contact with each graduand in that ceremony, shaking each hand, speaking to each and making contact in a way I have not seen before in such events. At the end my son said it was the moment he realised he did deserve the accolade, it made a profound difference. There will I have no doubt been many young adults who will have had the same experience on Monday, the ability to connect in that way and have so much impact in such a short period of time is an extraordinary skill and I wanted to thank you for that and all you do. You described your role as ceremonial, I would argue it is very much more.

With best wishes,

Alan Swain

28th July 2022

Dear Mr Sissay.

We have not met, but you presented my daughter Geraldine with her Graduation last Thursday 21st July at the 10.00 am ceremony in The University of Manchester. I was lucky enough to be there with my wife, Cilla and Geraldine’s younger brother Jason  (who by the way studied your poetry at school).

I would like to say a big thank you for making the day perfect, the whole ceremony was excellent, professional and made me feel proud to be a Mancunian. The whole event was inspiring. 

Finally a special thank you to you for being so engaging with all the students and ensuring those there in person and viewing online were, and felt engaged. 

Thank you for you enthusiasm which enraptured everyone.

And a BIG thank you from a mum and dad who have a daughter bursting with self belief embedded by the praise you lavished on the students for getting through a (Covid) Degree and finally thank you from a brother who's esteem for his sister could not be higher. He is now looking forward to following her to study at the same University.

As a family we wish you all the best as you move on the newer pastures. Hopefully our paths with cross again.

Thank you again.

Colin

                                                                                                             29th July 2022

Dear Mr. Sissay,

Thank you for making our son's graduation from Manchester University last week a truly joyous occasion. The pleasure at the young peoples' achievement that you radiated was infectious.

I hope you will have the strength to continue bringing joy, lifting people up and giving them courage to find their destiny.

Yours sincerely,

Caroline Keep

                                                                                          21 July 2022

Dear Lemn Sissay,

It was a pleasure to see you at the 10am Degree Ceremony today. I am writing to thank you for what you have done for the University and for inspiring staff and students through your words and example.

 

Best wishes,

Delia Bentley

Professor of Romance Linguistics

Division of Linguistics and English Language

The University of Manchester

Room W1.24, Samuel Alexander Building

Oxford Road